thoughts from one entering the fray

Difficulties of Language Today

We never really think about language when we speak as something that we need to worry about. As kids we were taught to think about it in our writing. Our writing usually differs from our speaking in many ways, as we have the chance to think about what we are writing and we can go back and edit it. However, when you are speaking to someone, you can not go back and edit it. It is now out it the open for your audience to hear, no matter how appropriate or inappropriate it may seem.

As a child or a teenager, we do not usually get corrected in our speaking, except for the minor implication in your language arts class, “ you do not say me and my friend, you say my friend and I”. You continue to say my friend and I until the day you are corrected to me and my friend. It is so confusing! Then we become young adults and try to fit into the “adult” world. The adult world consists of slang that offends people, work appropriate language, family appropriate language, blog appropriate language, and many more! How do we know when to use what?

The first time I ever offended someone with language was at my job in a dentist office. I was maybe 22 or 23 years old. I do accounting and billing and deal with some difficult people and insurance companies, but for the most part it is pretty smooth sailing. Just like any day, I had a couple come in who wanted to apply for a loan. In this particular case, I had to call the loan company to have a verbal confirmation from the patient. The woman from the loan company answered the phone, and I politely said, “These people are here to apply for a loan, and it came back requesting a phone call”. I continued the conversation and finished their application. As soon as I got off the phone, the gentleman I was helping preceded to scream at me and tell me I was racist. I had no idea what he was talking about! He said I classified them as “Mexicans” when I said “these people”. I was shocked and so embarrassed; never in my life would I ever be racist. He continued to put me in my place for a few more minutes as I was extremely apologetic and my face was on fire.

Working in an environment where I am generally the minority, a young, white, female, I have really had to change my tone of speaking and act like I know what I am talking about (even if I don't). As a teacher, my language has also had to change quite a bit. Where as at my job at a dentist office I deal with adults, I now have to deal with teenagers. When in front of a group of 13 year olds, I have had to slow down my speaking as well as watch how I am wording certain things. For example: “What questions do you have?” rather than, “Do you have any questions?” When you say “what” versus “do”, it makes the students feel more comfortable, and believe it or not, they actually ask questions when you word it this way. I have also had to think about how I address the students. I catch myself saying “You guys” all the time. I have been told this puts me at the same level as them rather than at a “teacher level”. I am still working on ways to improve speaking to my students as a whole. It has been a difficult and new thing for me. Not only do you have to change the way you word questions, but you have to be direct. I always include a please; however, it has been brought to my attention that I say things such as, “Can you, um, please get out your journals when you are ready?” Do you really think 13 year olds will respond to this? Not so much. As a new teacher, you do not think about these things until someone brings them to your attention or you receive a wave of blank faces in the crowd.

The English language is fascinating in so many ways, and yet so difficult! In today's society we have to learn to think about everything we say, how we say it, and to whom we say it to. When we are put in a different environment, whether it is a new job, a new city, a new country, we have to think about our language skills.

Tatum Dean,
Teacher Candidate,
University of Colorado, Denver

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